


Black Moon

by last_angel



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Aged Up, Alternate Universe, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Princess Alluka, Royalty AU, Soldier Killua, Space AU, prince gon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23275459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/last_angel/pseuds/last_angel
Summary: Gon is stuck at an intergalactic summit substituting for his father as Earth's representative, once again, when a sudden meeting with the princess of the universe's most renowned military force brings with her a dark prophecy which he must now fight to make sure does not come true or else it will mean the destruction of life as they know it. To help him is a cold, smart-mouthed soldier who drives Gon mad in more ways than one.
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so background: I watched Jupiter Ascending like five years ago (if you don't know the movie it's very cheesy but it's good in a guilty pleasure kind of way) and I had an idea for a killugon AU. I'd brainstormed ideas but never got around to actually writing anything. I have not watched the movie since then but I remember the general idea I had for the first chapter and since we are under quarantine right now I sat down and let my fingers fly!
> 
> As usual it is not proofread. If you've read my other works you know I suck at chapter stories and I won't even make any promises about continuing. At this point I don't have faith in myself (laugh//cries). The feeling and direction of the original AU has totally changed but hopefully you will all still enjoy it. 
> 
> There was some awesome concept art done by PHOSPENUMBRA on Tumblr back in the day. I will link those in the next chapter as it will make a little more sense then. 
> 
> P.S. The original title was "Across the Stars" cuz it was supposed to be a purposely cheesy and over the top AU like the movie but it isn't so cheesy anymore so the title didn't fit and I couldn't come up with anything good so if anyone has any better ideas I will totally change it from "Black Moon" cuz tbh that title don't make a lick of sense. 
> 
> Ok. Enjoy!  
> =======================================

This was a horrible situation. Just God-awful.

Well, no, that was an over statement. It actually wasn’t really _that_ bad…he could get through this…totally. He just had to breath. Just ignore the fact that there was this stiff, uncomfortable contraption that was wringing his neck and slowly suffocating him. He could pretend he wasn’t in total pain, his heart beating wildly in his chest as if trying to drill out of him, while keeping the sweetest fake plastic smile plastered on his face.

Someone was approaching him.

No, it was bad. It was really, _really_ bad.

Maybe not for other people, _regular_ people, but this was absolute hell to him. Gon absolutely abhorred formal events. They were always filled with so many people, who were complete strangers to him, which he had to entertain and make small talk with. He was a social guy so talking wasn’t an issue but he wasn’t interested in war, money or politics, which were always big topics of discussion when he had to substitute for his father in an intergalactic peace summit, and unfortunately that was more often than not. It was always more stressful talking to a bunch of spoon-fed bigwigs who could start wars over the smallest misunderstanding.

Of course they weren’t all bad. There were a couple of royal or important figureheads who had to fight tooth and nail for their spot. People, who rose from poor war torn planets, that they’d managed to turn into flourishing utopias for their people. Some overthrew corrupt governments and even some born and raised royals led their planet and people with such vigor, justice and honor that Gon admired them. His silver lining at these events was the fact that since these summits brought so many important people together in one place; naturally, they all brought their best subjects with them. Gon had to admit that what he enjoyed most from these events was the fact that he got to interact with so many different types of people from all ends of the galaxy. He especially loved talking, and usually befriending, the servants and warriors who accompanied their leaders. Being born and raised a commoner himself he always got along best with the “common people”. So it wasn’t _all_ bad, he told himself repeatedly wanting to convince himself that the night would end quickly.

Gon had finished with all of his obligatory formalities. He’d greeted and spoken with at least a third of the sovereigns in the hall (this meeting was hosting every planet in the universe it was an unspoken understanding that no one could possibly greet every single being at these events), he’d signed and helped form a few alliances and made contracts with at least two new independent planets that would help expand and protect their trading routes. All in all this had been a successful night, in his humble opinion, so he deserved to turn in early for the night so he could finally rip his clothes off!!

He hated these form fitted clothes, heavy with all their pointless formalities and unnecessarily tight. He wore a white military jacket with gold trimming; a myriad of medals and chains dangling off of him like a damn chandelier. He knew they were actually significant; they were physical representations of all his greatest achievements. All the glittering, pretty jewels were there as proof to the universe, the literal universe, that he was well qualified and deserved his title as “Prince of Earth”, as much as he hated wearing them. So, he could deal with the jacket, save for the high collar that buttoned right at his jugular and made him feel like he was in a constant choke hold, but besides that it wasn’t the worst. No, what he hated more, maybe even more than the hot, white gloves he was forced to wear just because they “complimented the look” were these damn tight pants. They were tailored a little too tight in the crotch area and he couldn’t find a way to discretely…rearrange himself to fit more comfortably. He’d just about had it and was ready to excuse himself when he heard a familiar giggle behind him.

“My my, is the Earthling prince having a fun time?” A sweet voice teased.

Gon turned to see Palm, a beloved senator from a prominent planet known on Earth as PN-3 in the Andromeda Galaxy, standing to his left in a beautiful white, sleeveless gown decorated with purple jewels and silver accents. She wore snowy, long, silky gloves that went above her elbows, her neck and wrists adorned with gorgeous, elaborate metalwork that her people were well known for and her signature purple “crown” which adorned her head, the color complimenting her lush raven locks cascading down her back. Palm had explained to Gon, more than a few times, how exactly the large purple orb managed to stay on her forehead. It was and wasn’t part of her, something to do with her alien blood but Gon had never been good at biology so he simply came to terms with it in his head that this was some sort of foreign magic and let it be.

With a soft smile Gon accepted the glass of red champagne she offered him. “Well I wouldn’t call it fun but now that you’re here that may very well change.” Palm laughed and he took a swig of the fizzy drink. It tasted like the champagne on Earth but a little more sour.

“I’d be glad to keep you company.” She looked behind and on either side of him, a slight frown forming. “Is Canary not with you? It’s very rare not to see her by your side.”

Gon nudged his head towards the east end of the hall where he last saw her. “She’s gone looking for an old acquaintance. Apparently a sparring buddy from her home planet was to come as a guard for this summit. She said it was extremely rare and odd that they’d be sent specifically but she couldn’t pass up the chance so I let her have the night. What about you? You’re looking awfully lonesome tonight as well.”

Palm tucked her thick locks behind her ear. “Senior Senators Knov and Morel are helping the Grand Leader Netero retire to his room. It appears as though he may have drunken one too many of his favorite Cosmic Cherry Bombs and let himself a little loose.”

“Ah,” Gon nodded understandingly, “I do recall there was a bit of a commotion earlier. At least they were able to stop him fairly quickly this time, only two broken marble tables. I heard they each weighed about four hundred pounds. That man has impossible strength!”

Palm nodded along, a light pink dusting her cheeks. “He’s well respected and beloved but it is a bit of an ordeal when we have to come to these events. He can actually hold his liquor quite well but he doesn’t seem to understand, or rather doesn’t _want_ to understand that other galaxies’ alcohols are more potent than those at home. Some could even be down right poisonous to us but he still goes ahead and drinks anyway and we always end up owing someone by the end of the night, though he always manages to quickly make up for the lost money, and then some, so the Grand Leader insist that there is no real damage.”

Downing the last of the champagne Gon licked his lips eyeing the empty glass with slight suspicion. “Maybe I should try getting crazy drunk so Canary will have to let me retire early.”

“I would very much appreciate it if you could refrain from causing me any unnecessary trouble, _My Prince_.” The title was hissed with an underlying threat, “I am sure you are very well aware that you have nowhere near the same power and prestige Grand Leader Netero wields.”

Gon gulped and smiled apologetically at the pair of sharp grey eyes making their way towards him, glaring daggers at him as they came up the stairs. Though a bit short Canary was a formidable force and she carried herself like it. She looked tough but elegant in her black tuxedo, her white dress shirt decorated with Earth’s crest in gold trim to match Gon’s outfit. It was common for servants, bodyguards and other related company to wear their leaders’ crest as to easily identify them in the sea of people. Always with her Canary carried a large staff with a large amber gem at the top of it, her weapon of choice.

“It was just a fleeting thought, more of a fool’s dream. I would never do anything to actually cause you trouble.” Gon physically winced as that last sentenced left his lips, Canary raising an eyebrow, challenging. He should have included “purposely” in that sentenced.

Dismissing him with a roll of her eyes Canary straightened up, raising her chin and clearing her throat she stepped aside and gestured to a party of three that stood behind her, “My Prince, allow me to introduce you to the Crown Princess of Kukuroo, Alluka Zoldyck. Beside her are her royal guards III and XV. ” She turned and pointed, a tad rudely towards Gon, “Crown Princess Alluka, I present to you the Prince of Earth, Gon Freecss.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you Prince Gon.” The Crown Princess, Alluka, curtsied and Gon bowed in response.

She was a rather young princess, only about fourteen if he had to guess. She had a kind smile and deep, warm blue eyes. Her black hair was adorned with various beads that looked rustic and hand carved, definitely not a big city kind of royal. She wore a frilly light pink dress but it didn’t look expensive, not cheap by any means but not extravagant like many of the other women at the conference. It looked simple, maybe even homemade, yet she very clearly looked and carried herself like a princess. She also wore little jewelry, and none made of any precious metals or jewels as far as Gon could tell. Beside her were two rather intimidating figures cladded in all black. XV was visibly taller than III – such strange names- but they wore identical outfits. They were mostly covered by a thick black cloak and hood but Gon could see the leathery outfit underneath, they had a black chest plate and various weapons strapped down their legs. They wore black leather boots and gloves, every part of them entirely covered, but the most noticeable detail of their uniform was their masks. They wore what looked like gas masks, the glass where their eyes should be was blacked out, shaped into a permanent scowl and the jaw was slightly protruding with a beast’s snarling fangs carved into the metal. They were a menacing contrast to the cute girl standing between them.

“The pleasure is all mine Crown Princess.” Gon turned to her guards and gave smaller polite bows. They simply bowed their heads slightly in unison. Canary introduced Palm and they repeated the greeting. It was an odd sight. Gon had never met or even seen anyone form Kukuroo, besides Canary, and she hadn’t been dressed like this when he’d met her.

Canary could tell by the bob of his Adam’s apple that Gon was a bit at a loss for words and she was damn proud, as this was extremely rare for him.

“As you know I did not originate from Kukuroo but the royal family, Zoldyck, took me in as an apprentice after rescuing me from Meteor City during the Calamity War. They hold the title for the strongest military force in the universe. XV was my mentor and III was my sparring partner. They helped me rise up to the third rank. I owe them my life.”

Canary kneeled and lowered her head facing Alluka as a sign of deep respect. Gon knew how much Kukuroo meant to her. He’d made her his bodyguard for her amazing fighting and tactical skills, all which were taught to her at Kukuroo and she’d made it perfectly clear she was nowhere near the best yet no one on Earth could beat her. He had only barely beaten her a handful of times and he couldn’t confidently says she hadn’t purposely let him to allow him to safe face.

In truth Gon didn’t know much about the planet since it was basically at the opposite end of the universe from Earth. All he knew was of their renowned military prowess and that everyone respected them. He’d never heard of any ill action or corruption coming from them, they were mostly a neutral independent group that kept to themselves and offered their soldiers as protection to other leaders and planets. It was their one and only trade but it was one that was invaluable to many. They did not initiate wars but they sure as hell ended them and that’s all Gon needed to know to respect them.

“Please rise Canary, you are a family friend, no need to be so formal.” Alluka cupped Canary’s cheeks and smiled warmly at her. Canary held the princess’ small hands in hers for a second before kissing them and standing up. At this point Alluka didn’t need to do anything more for Gon to pledge his life to the princess. It was clear how beloved she was, so she must be a good leader, though he had to admit he was a bit jealous of the obvious difference in treatment Canary was giving her.

The young princess turned to him her face becoming more serious. “Prince Gon, I asked Canary to introduces us as I have some urgent matters I need to discuss with you, may I request a private meeting?”

Gon was taken aback at the sudden request, “Of course, there are some private conference rooms by the left wing. After you.”

They started making their way towards the conference hall to look for an empty room when a distant rumbling caught Gon’s attention. It sounded like muffled fireworks but he knew that was impossible. This building and the immediate grounds around it had specialized technology that helped regulate the oxygen levels for everyone so they could breathe but outside it was totally void of oxygen. The rumbling became louder and suddenly the building shook as though struck by lightning.

Palm leaned against Gon for support as the building shook again, more violently this time. She’d lost her footing while going down the stairs. She had planned on joining up with Senior Senators Knov and Morel when the shaking started. There was confused chatter around them, nervous energy filling the room.

“Something must be going on outside.” Palm whispered nervously.

Canary stood closer to them, protectively, while analyzing their surroundings looking for any potential danger. “It’s best if we move along. It will be harder to defend with so many people.”

The two of them nodded when another strike hit the building, this time the lights flickered and their bodies jerked as they felt the ground shift beneath them. Women started shrieking and people started scattering in fear. The only ones who appeared to be unaffected were the mysterious trio before them. Alluke appeared worried but calm and somehow knowing while her two soldiers didn’t even flinch. They hadn’t even moved to shield her as Canary had done. Even in all the chaos no one dared pushed past them, people ran around the group, steering clear of the Kukuroo soldiers and their princess. The lights went out for about ten seconds, the swinging chandeliers casting haunting shadows on the walls and faces of people running past them.

Gon rubbed his eyes trying to wipe the crazy image away. The princess…Alluka…her eyes were- they were black! They looked like empty eye sockets fixed into a crescent shape with an eerie smile to match. He blinked but the princess remained the same. Palm gasped next to him, he could feel her grip tighten around his arm. A dark, ominous voice fell from the Princess’ lips.

“ _On the first nightfall of the Thousandth Royal Ball the lone star will tremor with fear to announce the birth of the King of Ruin, destroyer of worlds. No planet he calls home but all he will overtake and crush those who defy. Fear is his power. In his wake the smoldering ashes of his conquests will illuminate the vast darkness. His rule will be determined final when the last seedling is extinguished in the Orion Arm. The Solar will lose The Third and become eight. If so completed a million light-years will pass in death and darkness before peace can once again be birthed.”_

The marble ceiling cracked, large slabs falling to the ground. The ballroom was almost empty by now but the room still resounded with echoing screams and shrieks coming from the hallways. Gon’s heart was pounding in his chest a thousand times faster than it had been earlier in the night. The light retuned to the room alongside with Alluka’s regular gentle face. A large slab the size of a boulder fell where Alluka was standing, Palm shrieked and hid her face but Gon stood dumbfounded as the Princess’ image simply flickered illuminated with a blue hue. Beside her XV appeared the same, their image glitching a little.

_Holograms_.

“Gon, you are in grave danger. You must leave this place immediately.” The room trembled as the cracks ran down the walls, the air becoming thinner. “Canary return Senator Palm to Andromeda. Once at the port Sergeant Bine will meet up with you and serve as your guide.”

Canary gave a quick nod and quickly ushered Palm away without bothering to give Gon a second glance. His eyes followed their backs as they disappeared. That would have hurt a little had he not been so utterly baffled by the whole situation. The hologram glitched more, the sound distorted; it must have been damaged by the falling debris. XV had completely disappeared, only Alluka and III remained.

“They will be safe but only as long as they remain away from you.” This snapped him back to focus; he couldn’t help the hostile glare he shot at her. The hairs at the back of his neck were prickling; he could sense something was coming. “Follow III, he will shield and guide you. Your ship has already been prepared but you must leave that place as soon as possible!” Alluka turned to III, who apparently as there in the flesh. “Bring him back safe. I give you my strength and pray for your return.” III bowed and a moment later Alluka’s image disappeared. The soldier gestured Gon to follow him and so the Prince did.

They weaved through crumbling corridors, jumping over fallen debris and furniture. There was blood splatters that turned to pools of blood as they got closer to the exits. Bodies covered the floors and the wounded groaned and cried in pain. Gon stopped to help a handmaiden; from the crest embroidered in her clothes he could tell she was from somewhere in the Milky Way.

“Leave her, we have to keep moving.” It was the first time III had spoken, definitely not what Gon had been expecting. His voice was as frosty as his words but there was a velvety quality to it.

Still Gon couldn’t just step over the injured as if they were invisible. “They’re bleeding, we have to help them!”

Even with the mask on Gon could tell III was annoyed. The soldier grabbed him firmly by the arm in an iron grip that Gon knew he wouldn’t be able to shake off.

“You getting away from here is what will help them. The longer you stay the more people will die, now _move_.”

III dragged him along the corridor, pushing bodies aside without regard _. As if they were trash_ , Gon couldn’t help but think, his blood boiling, but he continued on. He had to. He didn’t know how the Zoldycks where so sure he was in such great peril. As far as he could tell anyone or everyone could have been the target of whatever attack was going on. Wasn’t it best to try to get as many people to safety as possible, why go through so much trouble to keep him, specifically, safe?

They walked up some crumbling stairs until they came up to a clearing where small ships usually dropped off their cargo. Seeing as they were somewhere towards the back of the building and they had passed the remains of the kitchen Gon guessed this was where the daily meats and crops where delivered, except that instead of a produce ship there was a sleek black spaceship awaiting them. III was fidgeting around with the machinery on his left wrist, the ship humming to life. There was a slow hiss as a door opened on the side of the ship, III silently urging him to enter. Gon stubbornly pushed his foot against the side of the ship making it hard for III to force him in.

“I thought the Kukuroo soldiers were known to be the protectors of the weak. How can you just walk past them and ignore their suffering?!” His emotions were getting the better of him. They needed to help!

The soldier stopped his shoving and took a step back. Gon turned to look at him with fiery determination. “I won’t leave until we get everyone to safety.”

III stayed silent for a moment then nodded. Gon smiled, warmth blooming in his chest. He knew Canary’s friend couldn’t be so heartless as to leave those in need. The prince walked past the soldier, eyes focused on the weak, bloodied bodies of the kitchen staff who had managed to crawl behind them to the entrance. He felt something cold sink into the nape of his neck.

“Mercenaries are valued for their talent to kill. My orders were only to take you.”

Those cold words were the last he heard before his vision turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed, if you got this far. Again, they are no longer on tumblr (that I could find) but I want to give a huge thanks to PHOSPENUMBRA, who had fuelled my love for this corny AU back in the day when I posted my vague idea on Tumblr. She created concept art and brainstormed ideas with me and it was loads of fun. I'm sorry I never got around to writing the AU when you were around!!
> 
> Since it has been so long since I actually watched the movie, watched HxH and have written anything the story isn't as corny as it was originally meant to be but it will have the usual Gon x Killua cuz that's all I know how to write. I may rewatch the movie for further inspiration but yeah, this quarantine just made me DO something so here is my offering.
> 
> Peace!


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon wakes up in an unfamiliar place after being knocked out at the peace summit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello....
> 
> My brain is regretting everything. Why do the Zoldycks have similar names and why do I suddenly forget how to spell Zoldyck every five minutes?! I don't even know anything about space besides the planets in our solar system...there were 9 planets when I was in school so that's what I'm going with!! #loveforPluto. 
> 
> You can probably tell but there will be few references to actual space things that exist in real life and a lot of it will be names taken from places in the HxH universe along with random words I may come up with. A.k.a nothing is reliable.
> 
> Character Info not mentioned (canon age difference ignored):
> 
> *Gon is 25 yrs old and 6'5"  
> Pic reference by PHOSPENUMBRA [here](https://babyworu.tumblr.com/post/119260310336/phospenumbra-posting-this-just-before-i-go-to) (this was from an old draft ideas for ch. 1)  
> *Killua is 26 yrs old and 6'2"  
> Pic reference by PHOSPENUMBRA [here](https://babyworu.tumblr.com/image/118334504806) and [here](https://babyworu.tumblr.com/image/118581329716)  
> *Alluka is 14 yrs old  
> *Illumi is 29 yrs old  
> *Kalluto is 13 yrs old  
> *Milluki is 27.5 yrs old
> 
> Bit of an info dumper but hopefully it gives a little more explanation on the AU since I just pulled this idea out of my XXX.
> 
> ENJOY!!

=======================================================================================

It was cold and hard. Gon stirred back into consciousness, his back stiff and with a throbbing headache. He groggily opened his eyes not recognizing the depressing grey ceiling. There was a single naked bulb dangling above him giving the room a slight yellow hue. He looked around trying to decipher where he’d ended up. The room was small and square; it was roughly the size of a small commoner bathroom back at home, like the ones in Whale Island when he lived with Mito as a kid. He was on a cement slab (was this supposed to be a bed?) that took up about half the space. It was right up against a wall with a large window in the center. He looked out of it but could barely make out anything, just a few hazy lights across from him – rooms with other hostages (?). Regardless, he seemed to be rather high up, there was no visible ground, only an endless void. It also seemed to be raining. He could faintly see the shadows of raindrops falling through the fogged glass and when he pressed his ear to it he could make out the echoes of the sea of droplets hitting the building. It was somewhat soothing, the only soothing thing of this whole place. On the opposite side of the room was a door and beside it hung an aged mirror, a small sink under it with pipes exposed. He wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a prison cell or maybe a servant’s quarters until he noticed the familiar thick black, cloak and feral mask hanging on the wall adjacent to him.

This must be _his_ room. III.

It was a rather miserable little thing, Gon had to admit, but it seemed to fit the image Gon had now formed in his head about the soldier. This room felt foreign, cold and empty. How could Canary be friends – be so fond of someone like this? Sure she wasn’t exactly the definition of kindness but she was a good soul. III, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have a soul. Gon made an attempt to reach towards the cloak but his entire body was sore form sleeping on the literal rock of a bed, he could hear his bones creaking. At that moment the door opened, a familiar lean cloaked figure stepping in, closing the door behind him.

III, Gon was guessing - as he still couldn’t see his face, stood at the doorway with a hand on his hip and head tilted slightly back. Though he couldn’t see them Gon felt cold eyes analyzing him. This time the soldier was sporting a plain, black facemask that covered the lower part of his face. The hood of his long, thin, black cape - that seemed to be made out of what Gon could only equate to as burlap - obscured the rest of his face. He still had the same leather boots he’d worn at the summit, Gon could tell by the recently dried blood and dirt stains. Again the cape covered most of his body but from what Gon could see it was clear the soldier was at home. He wore loose, slightly baggy pants and a tight, sleeveless shirt…all black, of course. The arm that peeked out of the cape was covered in a sleeve of intricate tattoos that looked alien and random but organized and clearly held meaning, kind of like a circuit board.

“You’re up.” III pointed behind him towards the door, “The Crown Princess Alluka wishes to see you.”

Gon frowned. He hadn’t expected any sort of politeness from this heartless bastard but he felt like he deserved a little more respect, at least for the simple fact that he was also a prince. He was not one to throw his title around to force others to respect him but the soft way III had so uncharacteristically (in his mind) said the princess’ name irked him for some reason.

“Wait a damn minute. Not until you tell me what’s going on. Where the hell am I? Why did you bring me here?!” He growled, the anger he’d felt back at the summit reigniting in his chest.

Not missing a beat III continued, “Change of clothes are on the bed. Be ready in ten minutes, someone will come to escort you. Don’t be late.”

Now enraged Gon reached for the soldier, the room so small he only had to take a stride, pulling him roughly by the collar, “LISTEN TO ME YOU PIECE OF-“ Bewildered Gon watched the soldier slowly dissolve from between his fingers into little glowing puffs of light and within moments he was once again alone in the room.

He stood there with his mouth slightly opened; shocked and irritated, starring at his empty hands before remembering he only had “ten minutes”. Gon saw the change of clothes folded on the bed III had so kindly pointed out…that jerk could have at least given him a proper pillow. They were pretty much the same thing III had been wearing except he had been given martial arts slippers rather than boots. At the very least Gon was grateful to finally be able to rid himself of the God-awful formal attire. Not wanting to greet the princess with a sour face Gon washed away the grogginess with cold water and haphazardly tried to fix his hair hoping to look a little more presentable but it was a lost cause with the useless mirror, so clouded he could only see his shadow.

As promised someone did arrive to escort him. It was a relatively tall man, in his mid to late thirties. He had very pale skin, dark short hair and a goatee. His eyes were sharp and he wore a pair of thin glasses. He seemed very well groomed and proper, standing perfectly straight and looking straight ahead, not making eye contact. He behaved much more like a typical servant, even dressed in a normal black formal suit.

“Good evening. Prince of Earth, Gon Freecss, my name is Gotoh. I am here to escort you to the Great Hall where your presence is required.” The man bowed politely.

Ok, this was more familiar. Maybe this guy would be a little more helpful.

“Please raise your head, and thank you for being an escort, but if I may ask…where exactly am I? Why was I brought here?”

Gotoh looked surprised for a beat before composing himself. “My apologies, I’m sure you must be very confused. Crown Princess Alluka will be answering any questions you may have. If you would please follow me, everything will become clearer once you speak with her.”

Gon followed Gotoh through long, twisting hallways. They passed many rooms similar to the one he’d been at. As they went deeper into the building, passing through many doors, there was a stark difference from the dank concrete walls to the now luxuriously decorated hallways. There were chandeliers hanging form the ceiling, large oil paintings lining the walls with portraits of people he didn’t recognize. A thick red rug ran down the center of the floor continuously. It was a beautiful place though not what Gon would have expected from the little he’d seen of the Princess (but then again nothing had been like what he’d expected from anyone from Kukuroo).

Gon studied the back of the butler that was guiding him, something about his stance and the way he walked seemed familiar.

“Mr. Gotoh-“

“Gotoh is fine Prince Gon.”

“Oh, just Gon is fine as well.” The prince grinned sheepishly, “Gotoh, excuse me if I’m wrong but are you by any chance, XV, Canary’s mentor?”

The butler stopped in front of a pair of large, wooden doors that looked like they weighed a ton but he pushed one open with ease, bowing and motioning for Gon to enter, his lips curled upwards ever so slightly.

“The Prince of Earth, Gon Freecss.” Gotoh announced.

He entered an extremely large room, decorated with various weapons and armors standing along the sides of the room, green flags dangling from the ceiling with a symbol he did not recognize and the red carpet leading up the stairs to a large metal throne in the center of the room where Princess Alluka sat looking royal but small in it. Behind her where four empty smaller thrones, two on either side. There were two other royal seats made out of gold and upholstered with green velvet on a level higher for the King and Queen. And towering over all of them was a golden booth on the highest level but he could see little of it as the thick, emerald drapes surround the inside where drawn shut. Gon wasn’t sure who that was for nor the four smaller thrones behind the Princess but he didn’t give it much mind.

Alluka stood but Gon put his had up and made his way to her, kneeling when he reached the foot of the stairs.

“Prince Gon, it is a pleasure to meet you…in the flesh this time.” Alluka smiled.

Gon returned her smile and rose. “The pleasure is all mine, Crown Princess Alluka. You have a beautiful palace. It is very…grand.”

Alluka laughed, “I am sure my mother will appreciate the compliment. I hope your trip went smoothly. I am so sorry your first visit to Kukuroo is under such dismal circumstances.”

Gon’s smile faltered a little. “To be quite honest I have no idea how I got here or why I _am_ here. Last I remember one of your soldiers, III I believe, was dragging me through the crumbling summit and making it to the spacecraft before suddenly blacking out. When I awoke I was in a tiny grey room where Gotoh just retrieved me from.”

He’d tried to keep his tone light, he wasn’t really sure if Alluka had been the one to issue the order to “kidnap” him so he didn’t want to let his anger out on her. As he recalled Canary had mentioned the King and Queen of Kukuroo were still alive.

“A grey room you say.” The princess furrowed her brow, visibly troubled. “My sincerest apologies for the poor way you have been treated. Despite the circumstances we have shown you the worst possible hospitality. This is unacceptable, I will be sure to have a word with… _III_ …about his behavior.” Alluka sounded displeased. Gon couldn’t help but smirk. That guy was in for it now. “You must be exhausted, I will have Gotoh escort you to a new room here in the upper levels. A hot bath will be awaiting you so you can relax and change yourself into a proper set of clothes.” She rose, flustered. Gon felt Gotoh’s presence coming up from behind. “I hope you are not too upset to join us for dinner, I’d hear you were fond of pot-roast.” Alluka pleaded with her large, blue eyes looking very much fourteen.

Gon smiled at her, “It’s one of my favorites.”

* * *

* * *

About an hour later Gon was once again escorted -by a young maid with pigtails this time- to a decent sized dinning hall that had a large oak table at the center that could sit ten people. He felted much more refreshed after soaking in the hot bath and scrubbing the sweat and grime off his body. He’d been given a fresh set of simple but elegant clothes: a white dress shirt and forest green suit. He opted to not wear the jacket.

The young maid led Gon to the head of the table, to his surprise. “Please take a seat, the Masters will be arriving shortly.”

_Masters?_

Gon waited anxiously trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. The room felt large with how quiet it was. There were servants standing unnaturally still against the walls. He noticed some had strange markings on their hands and some even their face. They looked similar to the tattoos he’d seen on III. Was it some kind of custom? He didn’t have much time to think about it as five servants suddenly moved to pull back the chairs, two on either side of the table and one on the opposite end. Two other servants opened the doors to reveal a small, pale young boy wearing a dark Kimono with shoulder length dark hair and pink piercing eyes. Behind him was a chubby guy with slanted eyes and greasy black hair parted down the middle. He wore a pink frilly dress shirt that looked a size too small for him.

“Master Kalluto Zoldyck and Master Milluki Zoldyck.” The servants announced. Each took a seat on the left side of the table, Kalluto, the smaller one, sitting closest to Gon. Kalluto gave Gon a polite nod of acknowledgement and he returned the gesture. Milluki sneered and turned way so Gon simply ignored him. They both had very severe and unfriendly airs to them and though they didn’t seem related to Alluka in temperance and behavior there were clear familiar traces in their physical appearances such as their rounded faces and the shape of their lips.

Soon after entered Alluka wearing a casual pastel pink dress with mint green accents. Her presence comforted Gon and he was finally able to relax a little, though he was curious as to why she was the only one referred to as Crown Princess if the others were Zoldyck as well. She smiled at him as she took her seat at the other end of the table.

Following close behind was a strikingly beautiful young man with pale skin, deep, blue eyes (nearly identical to Alluka’s but without any of her warmth) and snowy white hair. He wore navy blue slacks and a white fitted dress shirt that showed off his lean figure. To Gon’s surprise he was heavily tattooed. Gon could faintly see the black ink through the dress shirt. They covered his entire arm, starting from his knuckles and went up to his neck. His face was unblemished except for two mirroring markings under his eyes. They reminded Gon of tribal markings similar to the ones indigenous people painted on their faces back on Earth.

“Master Killua Zoldyck.” The man grimaced hearing his name and was taking the empty seat next to Alluka when she raised her palm and nudged her head towards Gon attempting to be discrete. Killua eyed him up and down, clearly displeased, but made his way to the seat on Gon’s right, jerking the seat back and letting himself fall on it with a huff, arms crossed against his chest. Alluka cleared her throat and Killua grumbled an, “Evening.”

Gon tried his best to suppress a chuckle, biting the inside of his cheek not wanting to get on this Zoldyck’s bad side any more than he already was. Killua had a powerful and intimidating aura, Gon could feel it resonating and clashing with his, but his behavior reminded Gon so much of a sulking child after being scolded by their mother that Gon couldn’t help but see him as oddly endearing.

The servants each brought out silver platters and placed them in front of each seated person. There was the promised pot-roast served in a large bowl accompanied with potatoes, wine, water and a few other Earthly dishes - all meat based. Gon licked his lips hungrily, everything smelling and looking delicious. He caught Alluka beaming at him. She’d done her homework on how to get on Gon’s good side.

Kalluto whispered something under his breath making Killua stiffen. Gon hadn’t caught what he’d said, he’d only noticed the boy’s lips moving but there was a sudden tenseness. Killua looked at the empty seat to his right in horror, a platter being placed for a missing guest. Gon noticed the way Killua’s knuckles turned white as they gripped the armrest of his chair. He was looking at Alluka with pleading eyes mouthing something to her. She simply shook her head and continued eating as did the rest of the Zoldyck.

Once again the doors swung open and “Master Illumi Zoldyck” as announced.

A tall, slender man with sleek, long raven black hair, tied into a low ponytail dressed in a green and yellow suit entered the room. He had thin eyebrows and eyes so dark it seemed no light reflected from them. They weren’t just cold…their gaze felt like death. His face was relaxed but emotionless and the room suddenly felt suffocating. He also had visible tattoos on his hands and neck and two vertical lines that started under each of his eyes and ran down to the middle of his cheek. He took an empty seat between Alluka and Killua. Killua tried scooting closer to Gon, more precisely away from Illumi, but the chair wouldn’t budge. It took Gon a moment to realize Illumi was preventing the chair from moving by hooking his foot around the leg of the chair. Even Alluka seemed a little uncomfortable but she greeted Illumi and ignored Killua’s silent pleas.

Illumi didn’t acknowledge her, his attention was solely on Killua asking when he’d returned and why he hadn’t informed him of his arrival. The pitch-black eyes turned to Gon, who felt his blood run cold. There was no change in expression but Gon could tell there was hate in the empty look. He continued to chatter along on his own every now and then, not bothered that Killua didn’t respond to any of his inquiries. Kalluto would sometimes chirp in then go back to silently eating. Milluki was by far the loudest and most talkative rambling on and on about his ideas for new weapons and technological upgrades on war crafts that his father had given approval for. He delved into very detailed information regarding his plans, how they worked and how much of a genius he was.

No one was really listening and even Gon had stopped trying to make sense of how exactly high frequency radio waves could be useful for intersecting super secret intergalactic messages that could then be distorted to send back encrypted something or other and cause a volcano to erupt in Neptune.

Dying internally was Killua who hadn’t touched his food all evening. Illumi had noticed as well and had tried to spoon-feed him a few times which only seemed to make Killua more anxious whenever he got closer. He looked like a spooked cat, the fluffy white hairs on the back of his neck standing up, hands ghostly white gripping on to his chair for dear life. The collar of his shirt was damp with sweat. Gon felt bad for him but wasn’t sure how to help. Alluka seemed to feel the same. She cleared her throat, putting her utensils down.

“Gon,” He’d asked her to drop the titles earlier on, “I am sure you are anxious to know why exactly you have been brought to Kukuroo. As you may recall during the summit a message was delivered.”

Finally, Gon was ready for some answers. The servants had all taken away the plates and left the room. The other Zoldycks turned their attention to him, save for Killua who was still trying to magically teleport away from his seat.

“Uh, if you mean that strange cryptic message you said when your face turned-“ Killua shot him a death glare. He backtracked, “when the room started to collapse, then yes, though I have no idea what it means.”

“There was a second communication?” Kalluto inquired.

“Third. Nanika appeared again two nights after the Earthling arrived.” Illumi said with disdain. “Mother and Father have left to Eastern Gorteau. It seems the third communication may be in relation to one of their occupants.”

Gon’s heart dropped. He slammed his fist on the table nearly knocking his chair over when he stood. “Wait a minute, two nights?! How long was I passed out? What happened to Palm and Canary? Who is Nanika? What is going on?!”

The four new Zoldycks studied him carefully…calculating.

Alluka sighed, the palms of her hands resting together as if in prayer. “Let me start from thee beginning. Um, how should I-”

Kalluto turned to Gon and summarized, “Alluka is the Princess of Kukuroo due to her connection to our mirror planet. She is able to communicate with it through a mirror of herself called Nanika, who will randomly reveal prophecies or predict disasters. We call these messages from Nanika “communications”. The first communication regarding this new set of prophesies was delivered a month before the peace summit and it seems two more have been delivered since then.”

Alluka nodded and continued, “These communications are sometimes vague and cryptic so they may take time to decipher or we may receive them too early on to really know the context of them. That was the problem with the first communication. Though we had received it a month before the occurrence we were not able to make sense of it until the night of the summit when the second communication was delivered, and by then it was too late. We are actively working on deciphering the two new communications but all we have right now are educated guesses.”

There was total silence, all eyes on the Earthling. The wheels in Gon’s brain where burning on overdrive trying to make sense of all that was being unloaded on him.

“ _On the first nightfall of the Thousandth Royal Ball the lone star will tremor with fear to announce the birth of the King of Ruin, destroyer of worlds.”_ Killua spoke, his voice calm but stern. “This year was the thousandth anniversary of the intergalactic peace summit where every royal and leader in the universe was gathered to celebrate and proclaim ‘everlasting unity’. It is traditionally held on, Azure, one of the oldest stars in the universe, which coincidentally happened to burn out that very night.”

_Thus the sudden collapse of the building_. Killua saw the dawning understanding in Gon’s eyes.

_“No planet he calls home but all he will overtake and crush those who defy. Fear is his power. In his wake the smoldering ashes of his conquests will illuminate the vast darkness.”_ Killua shrugged, slouching in his seat, a knowing cockiness and disregard in his movements, “That’s pretty straight forward. Some big calamity has been born and there will be a bunch of doom and gloom unless it’s prevented from seizing power.”

Alluka cleared her throat and Killua immediately became more serious, his posture proper and elegant.

_“His rule will be determined final when the last seedling is extinguished in the Orion Arm. The Solar will lose The Third and become eight. If so completed a million light-years will pass in death and darkness before peace can once again be birthed.”_ Piercing blue eyes once again directed their attention to Gon, waiting for his reaction. “The Solar and the Orion Arm are obvious, it’s your Solar System located in the Orion Arm in the Milky Way. Alluka believes _‘the last seedling’_ is referring to you seeing as you are the youngest current leader in that part of the galaxy. Not to mention _‘lose The Third and become eight’_ , Earth is considered the third planet in your system, which has nine planets. If earth is destroyed...”

Gon nodded more to himself than anything. "So you brought me here to protect me? Will I be able to fight this ‘King of Ruin’, to stop him, or will I be forced to hide until we find a way to prevent the death and darkness that will last a million light-years?”

Alluka reassured Gon with a smile, “Based on the last communication we believe there _is_ a way to avoid the total destruction you’ve heard about. Though what exactly it is and how it would work, we have yet to figure it out, but I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to unravel its message. That said, if I am correct, the prophecy cannot be fulfilled as long as you remain alive and there is no safer place in the cosmos, or anywhere for that matter, than the home place of the strongest military force in any current or past existence. And do not worry, Palm and Canary made it safely to Andromeda. They are aware of the situation and will be working to assist us in deciphering the communication. ”

That sounded like a plan. At least now Gon could relax knowing Palm and Canary were ok and he didn’t feel so much like he’d been kidnapped for no reason anymore. There was a lingering heaviness after hearing the prophecy more closely, warning of impending doom. Even if they did manage to stop the King of Ruin he knew there would be many deaths. And he still worried, wondering how many lost their lives during the collapse of Azure, but it had been two nights since the incident and he had to trust everyone had done their best to assist those that had been trapped and left behind.

“I believe we are no longer needed here. I will be retiring to my quarters.” Illumi ruffled Killua’s hair in an attempt to show affection but it came out looking awkward and oddly threatening, his fingers snapping knots in the snowy hair. Once again Killua was paralyzed in his seat while the other two Zoldycks followed after Illumi.

It was easier to breath now that Illumi was gone and Killua audibly sighed looking exhausted. Alluka gave a little clap to get their attention.

“It has been a very long night and I am sure you are exhausted but there _is_ one last thing I would like to discuss with you regarding your stay here.” Gon tilted his head to the side inquisitively. “I do not wish to keep you locked here, despite how safe I feel it is, and you may very well need to travel elsewhere in order to find the key that will put a stop to the catastrophe. As you know our soldiers are very strong and skilled but it is not viable to have an entire army following you around everywhere and I am sure it isn’t something you would enjoy. However, I do feel that while you are here it would be helpful to get some training from one of our most skilled soldiers. He is assigned to serve and protect you, he will be your shadow wherever this journey may lead you, but it would not hurt to get some practice an pointers should you ever get separated.”

Private lessons from one of the most skilled warriors in the universe?! No way Gon was letting this chance pass. His body was feeling stiff from sleeping so long and he was itching to work up a good sweat. And how could he refuse a bodyguard that had a better chance of fighting toe to toe against this new King of Ruin? Gon was a fairly good fighter, more than fairly, but he wasn’t so sure about singlehandedly taking down something that was referred to as a‘destroyer of worlds’.

“That sounds perfect to me. Who will bee training me?”

“My most trusted and beloved Reaper. I believe you two have already met. To outsiders he goes by III, but since he will be your shadow from here on out you may call him by his given name, Killua.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay chapter two done and III was revealed!! Wonder how obvious that was? And Reapers = Kukuroo Soldiers, I may just include little info bits in the notes cuz sometimes I feel like I'm just word vomiting in the story. I discovered I become dyslexic when I'm tired and my word document looks like I'm having a stroke the longer I write without sleep. It's 4:30 a.m.
> 
> I always feel very proud of my AUs when I finish writing them when I'm dead tired and sleep deprived then I wake up the next day and reread them and feel super dumb XS. But do I fix my ways? //disappointed head shake// Also not super confident on the characterization of everyone, they feel OOC, but then again I've written enough fics about these two that the Gon and Killua in my AUs have a personality of their own so it doesn't feel that strange. AU-ception.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this AU if you are reading it. This felt like a slow chapter but I gotta get some info out there so my craziness makes sense before we get to the end goal...smexy time!! 
> 
> Even if it doesn't end up making sense at least we'll get smexy time.


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I rambled again in this chapter. Can't tell if world building or info dumping. Hopefully it doesn't feel too slow or confusing. 
> 
> Since I suck at finishing chapter stories I'm trying my best to keep my momentum going >m<
> 
> I apologize for any mistakes, there will be many in this AU but just overlook them please!! 
> 
> As always I hope you enjoy!

It had been such a long and tiring day. Exhausting. He’d taken a bath before dinner but maybe there was still some dirt in his ears, or water even. He must have not heard her right. Maybe she meant Killua _and_ III were to be his bodyguards?

Gon chuckled. “III, be my shadow? Cute joke. As much as I enjoy the fact that he would absolutely hate that as punishment I would rather not add anyone else to the list of those who wish to kill me while I’m here. I am sure your brother is also a very capable fighter though. He should be enough.”

Killua rolled his eyes.

“My brother _is_ a very capable fighter, thank you. He is the third strongest active Reaper in Kukuroo, thus his chosen alias, III.” Alluka chirped proudly.

Gon’s polite smile remained on his face. It was the same smile he’d learn to put on during formal and political events whenever he wasn’t sure what the proper response was.

“His alias?”

The princess nodded. “Killua is also the third eldest son so he’s told me he feels it represents him very well.”

Oh no, she was being serious. Gon’s heart slowly sank. Was he paying for some sort of bad karma? This was why Mito had always warned him about wishing bad things on others.

“Does that really seem like the best option to you?” His voice cracked. Gon avoided making eye contact with the supposed third strongest Reaper. He could feel Killua’s mood changing from annoyance to amusement as the corner of his lips curled upwards ever so slightly.

“Of course! You are the Prince of Earth, which is the third planet from your sun. Both of you have an affinity to the number three, as they say on Earth - it’s a match made in heaven!”

If it was then Gon had a real bone to pick with whatever God had come up with this arrangement. Killua was now giving him a toothy grin having a hell of a better time than he was at the moment.

With envious ease Killua stood and bowed his head to Alluka, acting like a devoted soldier, “It is an honor to be bestowed with such an important task. I swear to protect the prince with my life and prevent the collapse of the galaxy.” Scary how quickly his behavior changed.

“I have no doubt that you will.” Killua’s face softened, eyes filled with tenderness. He was a completely different person when addressing Alluka. If only he acted this way all the time maybe, Gon thought, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing having him by his side. “Gon, I know this is a sudden and stressful situation, but Killua is loyal to a fault. He will devote his life to you and keep you from harm. He is smart, capable and strong and I have full faith in him, however he is also my brother and I wish no harm to befall him, if possible. I am aware that this is may be an impossible request but I beg you, please take good care of my brother, don’t let him die.”

Her voice trembled with emotion, her blue eyes glimmering with the swell of tears she was fighting to hold back. She was right, if he truly was the target of some godlike creature then bloodshed should be expected, regardless of whether they succeed in defeating it or not.

With his hand on his chest and a deep bow Gon swore to also protect Killua’s life to the best of his abilities.

Alluka seemed content with the promise and the partnership. She wished them both good night before excusing herself to bed. As soon as she was gone Killua’s demeanor changed back to his original hostility. He also excused himself to bed by dragging his thumb across his throat and sticking his tongue out at Gon just as he exited the room.

“Loyal to a fault” his ass!

* * *

### ♢♢♢♢

* * *

As soon as his back hit the floor Gon could feel the air forcibly expelled from his lungs. He rolled to his side, bringing his knees up to his chest defensively trying to regain his breath. He groaned in pain, his body sore from being kicked, punched and knocked flat on his ass repeatedly for the past two hours. There was a deafening ringing in his ears, muffling the beating and clamoring around him.

Sweat stung his eyes and his arms trembled when he tried to get up. He could feel their judging eyes on his back.

“Again.” Killua barked unsympathetically.

He could hear the other soldiers continuing their sparring practice around him. Gon had been escorted to a large indoor hall very early in the morning where the Reapers had already started their daily training. None of them had taken notice of him, all focused only on their opponent. Gon had noticed some were using spears, axes, daggers and various other weapons avoiding wounding anyone lethally but not shying away from shallow cuts and stabs. None wore armor, the hundreds of soldiers all sporting the same black uniform Gon had been given to wear the first night he’d woken up at Kukuroo, which he also wore, now filthy with sweat and dirt.

Due to the fact that he was The Prince of Earth, in order to avoid any major injuries, Gon was given padded armor that had helped with the falls at first but now it only felt like dead weight the more tired he grew. Weapons were also denied, Killua allowing only hand-to-hand combat and most annoyingly of all…Gon’s eyes darted between the arrogant Zoldyck and a young lady with long black hair and pencil thin eyebrows looking down on him. Amane was her name.

“Ti-e…time out.” He wheezed, his lungs expanding with every gulp of air and feeling too large for his ribcage. With great effort he pushed himself off the floor, discarding the now hindering armor. “Why the hell aren’t _you_ training me? Actually this doesn’t feel like training at all, you just keep having your lackeys beat me up everyday! You haven’t been giving me any sort of guidance and it’s been two whole weeks. I can’t honestly believe this is how you train your soldiers.”

Amane relaxed from her battle stance and looked at Killua for orders. Though the most petite she had definitely given Gon the most hell out of all the other Reapers he’d faced so far. Scratch that, the first night with Tsubone had been the worst. She had no mercy, throwing him with ease across the room like a rag doll. At the very least Tsubone had _attempted_ to give him some pointers at the beginning and explained her training was for agility – he was to try and not get caught by her for at least half an hour. No success there. She had started off easy allowing him to get used to the training ground and slowly increasing her speed. That _was_ until Killua barged in complaining that in a real fight the enemy wouldn’t give a damn about allowing him to warm up and would kill Gon on the spot. Which, ok, he had a _point_ but he could at least give Gon a break.

Gon was confident in his skills, back on his side of the galaxy he was a recognized fighter himself, but more than once Gon had wondered if Killua was secretly plotting to kill him and make it look like an accident. To be fair he had yet to suffer any serious injuries. The worst he had were some nasty bruises and daily muscle aches.

“If you can’t even defeat Amane, or any of the other eight Reapers who took some time out of their own regimen to train you, then there’s no point in me bothering with you.” The young master said with his typical brooding teenage energy.

It was still extremely annoying but Gon had gotten used to Killua’s callous way of speaking. At this point he just took it as part of the soldier’s personality. Though he did have one trump card. Killua would usually back off when Gon threatened tattling to Alluka.

“Killua, I believe I’ve humored you enough by acting as your buddies’ punching bag. Throwing me straight to the wolves den has taught me a few things and I certainly feel like I’ve developed some endurance in my pain tolerance and stamina.” That was a stretch but not a total lie. “But I don’t feel like I would last very long in a situation where I have to fend for myself if I ever come face to face with the King of Ruin. Isn’t that the whole point of this training, me being able to avoid dying to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled?”

The blue-eyed soldier studied him carefully. Gon gave his warmest pleading eyes in hopes of getting through to his shadow-to-be.

“Your ass isn’t getting killed by any shitty ruin as long as I’m with you. Alluka has entrusted me to be your shadow, and like so, I am tied to you. No one will get near enough to hurt a single hair on your precious little head.” The last sentenced was emphasized with a flick to Gon’s forehead.

All right. That was enough.

“Fine, if you won’t train me I’ll just ask Alluka to assign someone else to be my shadow.”

Killua scoffed. “There _is_ no one else.”

Gon spread his arms wide motioning to every other soldier around them. The planet was crawling with Reapers!

Killua waved him off. “Everyone here is a Third Rank, except for Amane and I. They do best in small clusters and can only work simple solo missions. None of them would be able to fight against, let alone protect you, from The Ruin.”

That was news to him.

“But wasn’t Canary a Third Rank? I thought that was a good…rank to be in.”

“Canary is strong in regular terms. Third Ranks are good enough to act as bodyguards for royals and leaders of generally peaceful planets as they run little risk of being targeted by a super-being. Third Ranks are also the ones that go to the war ridden planets and act as muscle or defense, depending on who is paying. However, someone of a higher rank will be called upon when the threat is outside of the norm.” Since it looked like the training had ended Amane excused herself. Now that the prince had voiced his grievances Killua lead Gon to a more secluded area of the training grounds. “I heard you recruited Canary while your father helped mediate a peace treaty between The Spiders of Neptune and The Kurta from Mars a few years back.”

It was rare for Killua to be so talkative, let alone take an interest in anything related to Gon’s life.

“Yes, I had just turned sixteen and had yet to have a personal guard appointed to me. I saw her sparring with a couple of soldiers from different regions and wipe the floor with all of them.” Gon recalled there were many outside troupes that had been hired by both the Kurta and the Spiders to aid their armies. They had been disputing over ownership of lands in Jupiter. Surprisingly he couldn’t remember which side Canary had been hired to fight for. Ging, The King of Earth, had somehow managed to get both groups to reach a compromise. Gon had insisted on going with his father to lend what support he could to his friend, Kurapika, who at the time was next in line to the throne.

The training soldiers became scarcer and the sounds of fighting faded into the distance until there was only silence as Gon followed Killua into a dark tunnel that lead to a wide-open space. It was a large dirt arena.

“Of course, Reapers are meant to be stronger than a regular soldier. We have five levels but only four ranks. At the bottom are the scraps, or no ranks, whatever you want to call them. These are the new recruits- orphans, drifters, past criminals- anyone we take in. Some we invite ourselves others come seeking to join us. Regardless, they are the weakest and have to be broken in so they get an idea of what kind of world they will be stepping into. Which is what you’ve been complaining about for the past two weeks.”

Killua walked him to a weapons chamber, his eyes darting through a massive collection of weapons seeming to be looking for a particular one.

“Fourth Ranks are the masses, typical soldiers. They are only a significant threat in their numbers, sometimes that’s enough for some situations, but many die in battle and others are too afraid to continue. This is where we see if those that stuck around can actually survive in the wild, so to speak. Then come the Third Ranks as I explained. Second Ranks are the glorified bodyguards, which would be the likes of Gotoh, Tsubone and Amane. They can be entrusted with protecting religious figures such as a high priestess. They also reinforce the Third Ranks if a crisis escalates.”

Gon took the great axe that was being handed to him. It was heavy in his hands but he could move it with relative ease.

“What about the First Ranks? If Second Ranks are so strong in what sort of situation is a First Rank needed?”

Killua raised an eyebrow as if he’d asked something stupid.

“We are called upon when there is a certain Earthling that needs protection from a danger so great it affects the entire universe.”

“Oh, right.” So it _had_ been a stupid question. “So, let me take a wild guess and say the First Rank is basically the Zoldyck family. Couldn’t Alluka just appoint any of your other siblings to be my guard?”

At this the soldier shook his head.

“You don’t get it. While it is true the First Rank is made up only of the Zoldyck family not all are fighters. Milluki and Alluka are clear examples, however, they have their own unique set of skills. I was Alluka’s personal guard, until you came along. Kalluto will be taking over my position but he is the weakest among us First Rank Reapers. As for the rest…well to be honest, they don’t give two shits about you or your situation. Alluka can’t entrust them with your life knowing they pose a more immediate threat. Illumi would crush your skull the second he got the chance.”

A painful shiver ran down the Princes’ spine at the mention of Illumi. Though they hadn’t seen much of each other since the first dinner Gon felt the truth of Killua’s words. He would sometimes feel a hateful stare glare at him from across a dark hallway or he would get goose bumps when making his way to his room at night, a murderous aura looming over him.

“But, that doesn’t make any sense. Why kill me if the prophecy predicts it could lead to the end of the universe?”

“Because,” the air grew cold around them, “it doesn’t really matter to them if the King of Ruin _does_ succeed. Reapers are at their core killers. We are at the farthest end of existence and thrive in chaos. Our whole purpose and desire is to become stronger and fight those stronger than us. Dying in battle is a great honor. Even if the calamity does attempt to destroy us, we Reapers, relish the exhilarating freedom of fighting to the death and get drunk from the bloodlust. So you see, the others you are asking about, they believe it would be much more fun to simply let you die and let the King of Ruin wreak havoc.”

Gon’s heart dropped, his blood running cold. Killua’s eyes had a dark gleam to them. Triumphant. There really was no one else but him.

“Then why are _you_ willing to do it? Obviously you hate me so why go through all the trouble?”

Silence.

“Because Alluka asked me to.”

* * *

* * *

Once again forced to wear protective gear but with the added bonus of an axe Gon stood in the middle of the arena. Killua stood before him with no weapon and no armor.

Gon had possibly…just made a huge mistake.

After learning that his life was being spared for the simple fact that Killua loved his sister and was wholly devoted to her, Gon had stupidly made him a proposition.

“So just to make things clear, you are agreeing to surrender yourself to me and become my servant if I evade all of your attacks for this next hour. You will obey my every command without question and will be a good little dog until the calamity is destroyed?” There was an irritating smirk on his face as Killua adjusted his gloves.

Gon gave a firm nod. “And if I _do_ manage to land a hit, you promise to train me properly and stop being such an ass until the calamity is destroyed?”

“You have my word, My Prince.” III bowed mockingly.

At least Gon could convert all his pent up annoyance into energy and use it to blast that impish grin off the soldier’s face. Having Killua speak to him with the slightest attempt at respect was just a small bonus.

The Earthling lunged forward hoping to gain some advantage with a surprise attack, though unsurprisingly, it didn’t work. Killua dodged with ease, stepping swiftly aside and gracefully evading every swing of the axe. His movements were like water, dancing around Gon, taunting.

“You know, I had heard you were quite good at fighting for a human. Everyone always describes you as a good-natured tornado. A fierce force that enjoys the thrill of battle but is normally a ray of sunshine.”

Gon flinched hearing the last part whispered into his ear. He round kicked but met only air, just barely catching Killua’s figure back flipping out of his range. 

“Oh yeah? So you’ve heard about me. Pity, I’ve never heard anything about you, not even from Canary.”

The other laughed, it was the first time Gon had heard him laughing not scoffing and it was tantalizing though it was a shame he couldn’t see his face. He’d lost sight of him.

“That’s because those who I am sent to meet usually wind up dead.” Gon swung behind him feeling a knee dig into his back. “And Canary is aware that when claiming independence from Kukuroo all ties are severed.”

How much time had passed? Gon had already started off tired but he was quickly loosing precision and strength behind his attacks. Killua was fast and even with the added range of the axe he was like a ghost who would vanish in an instant, just barely out of Gon’s reach.

“That is why we Reapers are not afraid to die. There are no attachments to this world. You on the other hand, are tied down by your connections, putting your life on the line for others. Like your friend, Kurapika.”

A fist made contact with the Princes’ jaw, his mouth filling with a metallic taste. Another idiotic mistake, insisting Killua also fight back in order to make things ‘even’. He’d quickly realized how one-sided this fight was, though Killua was only occasionally attempting to counter. It was nothing but child’s play to him.

“There had been a price placed on the Kurtas’ rare eyes, nearly the entire clan annihilated until you stepped in. Had it not been for you and your father’s political interference that blond would be six feet under with empty sockets just like the rest of his family. Although, word has it maybe it was the Mars prince himself who ordered the massacre. He did become king after all.”

Killua lunged to his left just nearly dodging the axe that had been flung at him. The blade had nicked the edge of his pants, just barely missing his leg. Smoke was rising from the handle that was protruding from the wall the axe had sliced into.

“SHUT UP!! DON’T SPOUT SUCH VILE LIES! KURAPIKA WOULD HAVE NEVER HURT HIS FAMILY!” Gon’s eyes glowed with pure fury. His senses hyper focused locked onto the white haired man.

Killua rose to his feet, glancing back at the axe buried deep into the crumbling wall.

“That’s what they all say but the truth is deep down they’re nothing but sleazy dirt bags eager to raise their status and fill their pockets. Greed can be blinding and lives are worth little when presented with the promise of overwhelming power.”

Gon felt a heat rise from within him and not just anger, he could feel his body temperature increasing, the sweat on his skin evaporating. A golden aura surrounded him looking like flames. His knuckles cracked and he gritted his teeth, his feet leaving deep indentations where he kicked off.

“KURAPIKA ISN’T LIKE THAT! YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!”

Killua managed to dodge the powerful fists that cut through the air like a knife. He nearly tumbled trying to avoid a kick, Gon now better able to keep up with his movements. The air pressure from his rabid attacks was powerful enough to cause real damage should they land.

“What proof do you have that it wasn’t him?”

A cloud of dust formed, growing thicker with every missed punch. Killua’s figure was obscured but Gon could still sense him and was dead set on breaking his jaw.

“I’VE HAD IT WITH YOU!”

Heated hands pinned down the pale soldier. Gon dug his knee into the soldier’s ribs feeling them crack and yet there was a victorious smirk on his face.

“Not bad.”

With a familiar feeling, like water slipping through his fingers, and a cluster of lights III disappeared from underneath Gon’s grasp.

A slow clap echoed through the arena as Killua leaned over the crumbling wall.

“So you aren’t a total lost cause.” Gon stared up at the man grinning at him then back to his empty hands where the same man had been just a few seconds ago. Again Killua laughed, the sound warm and childlike. He jumped into the arena and made his way towards Gon slowly, hands slightly raised as a sign of peace. “I apologize for slandering your friend’s name, it was a calculated but dirty lie. Alluka had mentioned you should have been blessed with some sort of gift by a high priestess when you were named a prince. We figured, since you are a fighter, you would’ve been given something to enhance your strength and provoking you was the fastest way to pry it out. However, I’ll admit my method may have been too insensitive. As promised, we will start training tomorrow at dawn and I _guess_ I could pretend to care that you are Earth’s Prince and start treating you like it.”

The golden aura that Gon had been engulfed in while on a rampage was slowly vanishing as his heartbeat slowed and his usual temperance returned

“How did you do that? That’s the second time a clone of you…um, dies in my hands.”

Killua extended his hand and Gon accepted it.

“Like you I was gifted a power. Nanika gave me the ability to create multiples of myself. The closer to my real strength they are the more energy they take so I tend to only make weak versions to do chores and menial tasks. I am unable to be too far way from them though as they are more like illusions rather than clones. But don’t worry, as your shadow I will always physically be near you.”

Gon deadpanned. Had he just casually been called a menial task? Well at least he had managed to earn the right to be trained and based on Killua’s change in tone; he had also earned some recognition in the soldier’s eyes.

“Illusion or not, don’t think for a second I won’t brag to everyone about managing to pin you down.”

Gon received his second flick on the forehead of the day.

“You better not. I’d rather not have Illumi serve your tongue to me for breakfast.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random tidbits:
> 
> ♢In this AU religious figures can hold extraordinary powers and thus are more at risk of being kidnapped or murdered. They can see the future, offer blessings and grant wishes but their powers are holy so they are not useful for self protection and they are still mortal.
> 
> ♢Alluka is the only one referred to as royalty because of her ties to the 'mirror planet' and Nanika. She is not considered a priestess as Nanika is seen as a dark power.
> 
> ♢The time the treaty between the Spiders and the Kurta was established is a separate incidence to when the Kurta were massacred


End file.
